


hidden behind

by thewolfsdoctor



Series: teninch [1]
Category: Casanova (UK), Mansfield Park (2007)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Romance, Secret Relationship, romeo and juliet type of stuff, some diplomatic whatever idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 21:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14985617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewolfsdoctor/pseuds/thewolfsdoctor
Summary: 31. “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”fromthis prompt list





	hidden behind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gingergallifreyan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingergallifreyan/gifts).



> 31\. “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”
> 
> from this prompt list

Giacomo felt the needle prick at his leg, then again in the same place, before the tailor by his feet scolded him to stand still. He exaggerated, of course, not even breathing until the man made an annoyed huff.

“At this rate, I won’t get anything done, sir.”

“I think it’s fine,” Giac replied impatiently. The ball didn’t start until the late evening, but Giacomo felt the nerves crawling up his spine. And there was a small window of time for him to sneak away with Rocco to attend without his parents finding out. Not like they cared where he went, anyway.

But there was one rule they strictly enforced: do not interact with the Price family. Ever. As in, if his parents knew where he was going tonight, they would disown him for good.

Fanny told him about the feud once, that their ancestors have fought for decades over money. On her side, one of his great great grandfathers stole a share of land and a flock of sheep from her great great grandfather. His father told him that the Prices were lying, thieving scavengers. Less plausible in his mind, granting that his father was an untruthful bastard himself.

“I think I believe you more,” he had said to her.

She only shrugged. “It wouldn’t matter.”

He kissed her for the first time that day.

A letter arrived a week after that, telling him that she could never see him again. Warning that her father was growing suspicious. Her father, a high-ranking general that earned their status of near royalty, who would have his head if he knew what they were doing.

It ended in a goodbye.

That was months ago, and in his heartbreak, he hadn’t seen or spoken to her since. Time passed in a flurry of drunken nights, gambled money, and whoring women. He was surprised his parents had noticed his stranger-than-normal behavior and advised that he got his act together before they relinquished his hold on the money they spoiled him with.

He would have told him where they could put their money if it wasn’t for Rocco. His closest friend wasn’t blind to what he and his beloved were up to but had warned him of the dangers of losing his status, which gave him the security he needed. He was safe. He could be happy if he ever tried.

The half-empty bottle of rum in his hand told him otherwise.

He woke up that next morning in his bed, arms sore and stomach queasy. Rocco was the only person at his side.

“You were in a brawl. With an entire pub.”

“Did I win?”

Rocco gave him a good-natured smile. “There’s word at this side of town. A ball.”

“Do I even need to ask who is hosting?” Giac said, rolling over for the water at his bedside table.

“It is a masquerade.”

The gears turned in his head.

“They wouldn’t even know,” Rocco continued.

“She wouldn’t want to see me.” God, he sounded more than hopeless. Convinced that Fanny was done with their hidden affair, their situation riskier than either were comfortable with. He didn’t want to push her too far.

How much farther could they be?

“Her family trusts me, despite my connection with you.” Everyone knew he and Rocco were an inseparable duo. But Rocco was a great businessman, trustworthy enough to keep everything confidential.

Everything financially knowledgeable, at least. Gossip was bound to spread, one way or another.

“She cares for you deeply.”

Giacomo squeezed his eyes shut, keeping his heart from soaring too high before it came crashing back down. He was clever, sure, unquestionably so. So why was this such a hard decision for him to make?

So much was dependent on the road he paved at this moment. Teetering on a tightrope that would have him falling harder than he would like, in either direction. He had to be sure.

The masquerade would give him a chance. The thought of Fanny gave him enough courage to risk everything.

The rush of adrenaline made him shoot up from his bed, his romantic side blaming the dizziness on the hope in his heart.

Days of planning and groveling and hoping led him to the west side of the manor, half hidden by low hanging trees and the expansive garden. Rocco met him there, handing him a deep red mask that concealed half of his face. They walked around the street to a carriage and fled to a house he never dared to be near.

He and Fanny always met in the middle, a small town in between their cities that their families would never dare to be seen in.

He had suggested it once, running away. They could start a new life, even in that little town. Locals were already vaguely familiar with them, their true identities the only mystery. She refused adamantly. She couldn’t do that to her family, nor to him. He praised her compassionate heart and never spoke of it again.

They were in stasis, she unwilling to go as far to betray her family name and he not reasoning with her. Giacomo only wished for her happiness, but now he was afraid that without compromise he could never give that to her.

This was his one chance to pour his heart out to her, he was convinced.

The carriage pulled up to an enormous house with large windows pouring with light, men and women in extravagant costumes more to show off than to rise to the occasion.

“Maybe we should go around back,” Giacomo suggested, losing his courage.

Rocco shoved him forward. “Nonsense. We’re already here.”

They clambered out of the carriage, Giac’s nerves making him stumble. “Just try not to attract so much attention,” his friend added as an afterthought.

Giacomo put his mask on, smirking at the man in front of him. “You’re asking the impossible of me, Rocco.”

They bounded up the steps behind a woman in a very large skirt, straying away from the center of the room where everyone was dancing in a great routine. He stood tall to look over the heads of the dancers, hoping to spot one woman out of the sea of people. An impossible task, really, even if he thought he would recognize her anywhere. Her kind eyes and ever genuine smile, the graceful way she moved, he could see her in his mind’s eye and it only strengthened the need to see her in person.

Someone tapped on his arm, and his head whipped around in surprise. Her face partly hidden by the white and gold mask, a meek smile appearing when their eyes met.

“Would you like to dance?” Fanny asked.

He swept her to the dance floor as soon as the words left her mouth, the joy that he’s been deprived of for months flooding back into his body. She squealed when he spun her around, it was like a breath of fresh air.

“I missed you,” he said as he pulled Fanny to him. Her hand on his shoulder trailed up to his neck, thumb stroking at the nape in a wordless apology. He was desperate to hear her voice again. “Did you miss me, too?”

“I asked for a masquerade for a reason,” she giggled. Her smile dropped a fraction. “I’ve been kept at home more often, ever since my father confronted me about sneaking away. This party was a consolation, I suppose.”

He edged them towards the door of the ballroom as their dance slowed. He knew her relationship with her father was a sensitive topic, and Fanny dropped her eyes to the floor to hide from him.

“You have me now,” Giac told her, lifting her chin. “How did you find me, anyway?”

She looked at him like he grew another head. “My family may not know you, but I only know one man with a fashion sense like this.”

He looked down at his red silk shirt and dark trousers. “This is all the rage in Italy, Miss Price.”

“I would never have guessed.”

“You would only like to see what’s under them,” he winked, feigning hurt when she lightly smacked him on the chest. She looked away and took a step away from him, making Giac realize how close they actually were. He followed her gaze to a man and woman who were staring at them as well.

By the scrutinizing look on the man’s face, he would guess he was her father. Rocco’s impeccable timing stole the attention from the general, however, giving them a little more time before either he or Fanny felt the need to run from each other.

Giacomo wasn’t sure if it was fear or bravery that struck him in that moment, but Fanny deserved to know how strongly he felt no matter his consequence. Now was his chance. “We shouldn’t be afraid anymore.”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears, not knowing what to say. “Giacomo…”

He held both of her hands in his, fully aware of the people starting to wonder. Quite the spectacle, Frances Price being wooed by a mysterious stranger. She knew nearly everything about him, from his childhood to embarrassing moments to sexual conquests, and accepted him wholeheartedly. He trusted her to his very core, and they found new strengths in each other. They were in danger of falling from the start.

Giac smiled, knowing that it would lift the tension from her shoulders. His hand followed the path from her chin to her bottom lip, pausing there before following the line of her jaw. The collective gasp behind her made him chuckle. “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”

Her choked back laughter was like music to his ears.

“So, what do we do?” she inquired, a bit breathless.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.”

He reached out to take off her mask and removed his as well. Her eyes widened, even if she looked a little relieved to his face without any obstruction.

“Alright, because I’m about to do something utterly stupid.” Before she could ask what it was, he looped his arm through hers and led them right in front of her parents. He held out his hand for her father, who straightened defensively as they approached.

“Hello, General Price. Giacomo Casanova, at your service.”

His brow arched. “Excuse me?”

“See, I am an associate of my friend Rocco here. Only here for business.” They turned to Rocco as if to confirm his statement, and he nodded in response.

“Business, is that what your family calls thievery?” her mother jabbed at him, and then directed a question to her daughter. “Frances, is this why you’ve been sneaking away?”

Fanny’s lip twitched, a sure sign of her quiet irritation. “Actually, yes.”

He gaped, not knowing where she was going with this. “What?”

“What?” her parents said at the same time.

“I’ve been meeting with him to discuss a negotiation between our families.”

She had a confident edge in her voice and nudged an elbow at his side, pressing for him to continue. He didn’t have much of a plan other than asking her parents for their permission to court her, a blind faith in his ability to convince them of his good intentions despite his family name. Not a very good plan, mind, but at least that way she wouldn’t be in trouble for being courted without their knowledge. He would just be a bloke who fancied their daughter, which he already was.

“That’s right,” he stuttered, thinking on the spot. “The conflict between Price and Casanova is an old one, as we all know, so old that we don’t even know why. Would it not be socially beneficial to end it sooner than later?”

Rocco stepped in just then as well. “General Price, it would be advisable to consider this new compromise. The Casanova family has several connections that reach across the continent.”

Madame Price mulled it over, her husband stoic as he considered this suggestion. Fanny and Rocco were right. Other than two families competing, a stronger bond would ensure financial security and reputation.

“How do you plan on ending this, then?” her father said, taking him from his thoughts. Giacomo took a deep breath.

“Well, I was considering a merger.”

“A merger, as in marriage?”

Fanny squeezed his arm. When he looked at her she didn’t meet his eyes, but he could tell she was not averse to the idea. A proposal wouldn’t work here and now, though.

“Well, it’s a possibility.”

“I do not have a high opinion of you, Sir Casanova. As of yet.” He only nodded in understanding. “Does your family know about this?”

“Nope!” Giac answered cheerfully. “Truthfully, it will take a lot of convincing. But I was raised on the importance of debate and persuasion, how hard can it be?”

He’s already had the majority of responsibility with his family’s finances anyway, his parents more concerned with the social aspect than anything else. The Price family was in good standing, and their feud has brought more gossip than it has done any good, really. If they would just let him explain, he would have their reluctant approval at the very least. He was very clever. If only he put any of that intelligence into something other than moping over what he thought was a lost cause. 

“You think highly of yourself,” General Price observed.

“Yes, I do. It is high time I clean up my act, so to speak. And I think that first step is extending an olive branch to you.”

“You are very different than I imagined you to be.”

“One’s true soul is never how you imagine it, I suppose.”

The general turned to Fanny. “Frances, do you agree with this idea?”

She looked shocked that he included her in this decision. She gazed up at him, a beautiful expression lighting up her face. Giac couldn’t help but respond to it in kind. She was a guiding light in this situation, always motivating him to be good enough for her. 

“I think… it’ll take time,” she said slowly, considering the generations of resentment between their families. It was all in the past, and there was no need to be so closed off from each other any longer. The vision of spending the rest of his life with her became more vivid and clear. “But it will be worth it.”


End file.
